Tex Mex Cafe

[Ulysses G.]

The newest Citylife magazine advertises a new restaurant called the Tex Mex Cafe at Chiang Mai 89 Plaza on Chiang Mai-Lamphun road. The menu sounds good - a lot like Miguel's - and the photos of the food look good too. Has anyone tried this place?

[elektrified]

Are you sure it's not the old Miguels UG?

I was in Miguels about 2 weeks ago and briefly spoke with Marc the owner. He said his sister was no longer involved in the Nong Hoi Miguels and had went back to Canada I believe. I think he also said it was no longer part of the franchise and the manager owns it now.

Must be it I would guess?

[Ulysses G.]

That was my guess too, but does anyone know for sure?

Edited August 5, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

A picture would help.

[Ulysses G.]

I have not been there.

[Greenside]

Randy is back in Canada to be there for her son's graduation year, but from what she told me before she left I had the impression that she was keeping an interest in the business with a view to returning to CM in the future. Tex-Mex is now a completely separate business from Miguel's and will slowly change its menu to make regular dining there for locals more attractive which, given its location, makes good sense - how many times a month do you want to eat Mexican food, however good? The owner of Plaza 89 (look out for the BMW SUV) is building more units at the back of the development and last I heard Tex-Mex was going to move to one of those.

The quality of the food remains as before and they seem to be doing regular business with a high proportion of Thai customers.

[zeichen]

I ate at the miguels at 89 plaza twice. Both times the food was adequate and service fair. Nothing to rave about but fixed the craving. I went back a few months ago and didn't notice that the name changed to the TexMex. I drive past it everyday but never really paid attention. The physical menu is not nearly as professional as Miguels but all the menu items are the same with the addition of some non mexican foods. The food itself was not even as close to the same standard as Miguels though. They didn't seem to keep any of the old staff either. Didn't really get involved enough to find out who bought it but seems to be run by a foreigner I assumed British by his accent. Might have just been a customer telling staff what to do but I don't think so.

As stated before 89 plaza is building a food center in the back with about 12 buildings it looks like. Not sure if they will fill it with good shops but will be nice to have some more choices near home.

[northernjohn]

Randy is back in Canada to be there for her son's graduation year, but from what she told me before she left I had the impression that she was keeping an interest in the business with a view to returning to CM in the future. Tex-Mex is now a completely separate business from Miguel's and will slowly change its menu to make regular dining there for locals more attractive which, given its location, makes good sense - how many times a month do you want to eat Mexican food, however good? The owner of Plaza 89 (look out for the BMW SUV) is building more units at the back of the development and last I heard Tex-Mex was going to move to one of those.

The quality of the food remains as before and they seem to be doing regular business with a high proportion of Thai customers.

I didn't get into the details but basically she told me she was coming back and was still holding an interest in the business.

[jonwilly]

Had the Hot Stuffed Sub from Miguels on about 5-6 occasions, good value and good food.

john

[Ulysses G.]

how many times a month do you want to eat Mexican food, however good?

In California, I had a burrito something like 5 days a week for years, but they were REALLY good!

[terminatorchiangmai]

It is the old (new) Miguels building with a new name,

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I have not been there.

Picture of the ad of course! You own a phone right?

Anyway I always liked the 69 Plaza branch better than the ghetto one on the moat. Aircon, better service.

[Kiniyeow]

Yes, it is the same building (and food) as Miguels, just a new name, TexMex.

[Ulysses G.]

I have not been there.

Picture of the ad of course!

The ad only has a picture of the food which looks like Mexican food pretty much everywhere.

[junglechef]

Food photograph and misleading if not totally false advertising, so far I'm having a calm day so don't get me started ... "serenity now"

[Ulysses G.]

misleading if not totally false advertising

Calling themselves "Tex Mex" when it is really California-style Mexican food?

Edited August 6, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[Greenside]

Some sense of proportion, please. It's a local family type diner and neither the staff or 90% of the customers know or care about the difference between Mexican, Tex-Mex or California Mexican. They just want a burrito and if they don't like it they'll go elsewhere next time. Under it's previous incarnation it billed itself as "real Mexican food" which it wasn't either.

Save the in-depth analysis for Coq D'Or or Marco's, and incidentally, while you're talking about misleading advertising, why not direct your indignation at Pizza Company that routinely shows shots of delighted kids with huge 199 baht pizzas that you know will only be 8 inchers when encountered in real life? They're the people who should know better.

[weary]

I like to call it Flex Mex. Fits 'international' palates.

All you mexigourmetitos knowitallitos can go back home to get your burrititos... Capuscino?

[mania]

Actually I was just in there the other day & wondered why the menu had changed.

Prices the same but added some things & call the combo plates by a new name.

Could just be luck but the 3 times I have been there even when Miguel's it did not seem as good

as the moat Miguel's

But the air con was always the draw at lunchtime if I wanted Mexican

[richard10365]

I've been there when it was Miguels and now as Tex Mex. Taste the same.

[zeichen]

I wondered how they ever managed to actually sell the business. There is no way that they made any money. I literally live 3 minute walk from there. In the few years that they were opened as Miguels it was rare to see more than 3-5 customers a day. I don't see how they paid rent, employees and other overhead let alone made any money. The new place seems to have more customers but when I went in most of the people weren't eating much. They did get rid of the pool table and less emphasis on their bar.

When it was Miguels I would never give it above a 5 out of 10 but now it isn't even a 3. The menu alone is so unprofessional. Just some snapshots of plates of food with bad lighting. You cannot even tell what the dishes are.

I am a mexican food snob.

[Greenside]

I too live locally and although I have no inside knowledge of their business I'd say you are underestimating their trade. It wasn't often full but usually has several tables occupied. I'd say that the times we go - maybe once every couple of months - we'd see three or four other families there. I can probably think of twenty other restaurants that came and went in the time they've been open (and I don't get out much ).

[Ulysses G.]

I am a mexican food snob.

You are in the wrong place for that.

[Mestizo]

misleading if not totally false advertising

Calling themselves "Tex Mex" when it is really California-style Mexican food?

Not sure why you keep saying this. The food is definitely closer to Tex-Mex than it is to Cali style. Cali style uses more seafood (fish tacos), alot more vegetables, more guacamole, and more raw ingredients (raw cilantro, un-cooked vegetables, raw onions, etc).. It's generally considered to be "healthier" than normal Tex-Mex.

A perfect example of Cali style, would be the Baja Fresh chain in the US:

http://www.bajafresh.com/mexican-food-menu

A perfect example is their pic of burritos:

http://www.bajafresh.com/images/menu/bg-baja-burrito.jpg

What you get at Miguels is different. Its mostly Tex-Mex.

Source: I'm a Mexican from Texas who's grown up eating Tex-Mex almost every day since I was born.

-Mestizo

[Mestizo]

Actually I was just in there the other day & wondered why the menu had changed.

Prices the same but added some things & call the combo plates by a new name.

Could just be luck but the 3 times I have been there even when Miguel's it did not seem as good

as the moat Miguel's

But the air con was always the draw at lunchtime if I wanted Mexican

Agree. The food at the moat location always has a better, more consistent taste. However, I still regularly opt to eat at this location due to the ease of parking vs the moat location.

-Mestizo

[MartinBKK]

I wondered how they ever managed to actually sell the business. There is no way that they made any money. I literally live 3 minute walk from there. In the few years that they were opened as Miguels it was rare to see more than 3-5 customers a day. I don't see how they paid rent, employees and other overhead let alone made any money. The new place seems to have more customers but when I went in most of the people weren't eating much. They did get rid of the pool table and less emphasis on their bar.

When it was Miguels I would never give it above a 5 out of 10 but now it isn't even a 3. The menu alone is so unprofessional. Just some snapshots of plates of food with bad lighting. You cannot even tell what the dishes are.

I am a mexican food snob.

I have been going to this place for quite a few years - it is hardly any different to when it was Miguels except a few new things on the menu i believe. I don't agree the menu is unprofessional and the food is reasonably priced, quite delicious and very good value in my opinion. I also think the service staff are attentive and friendly and as long as all of these remain the same i will continue to go.

[zeichen]

Since they only built the building 4 years ago and opened as Miguel's 3 years ago, you cannot really call that quite a few years.

The new menu has all the same dishes that the Miguels menu does but the physical menu itself is not presented nearly as professionally as Miguel's. I guess I could scan a picture of both to show you the difference but clearly you have your conception of what professional means and it isn't the same standard as mine.

My point was though that the business itself doesn't do well there and neither did it when it was Miguel's. I have never seen the place packed and there are days where they might have 4-5 customers all day. For what they must be paying for rent, I doubt that they could keep in business.

[northernjohn]

Since they only built the building 4 years ago and opened as Miguel's 3 years ago, you cannot really call that quite a few years.

The new menu has all the same dishes that the Miguels menu does but the physical menu itself is not presented nearly as professionally as Miguel's. I guess I could scan a picture of both to show you the difference but clearly you have your conception of what professional means and it isn't the same standard as mine.

My point was though that the business itself doesn't do well there and neither did it when it was Miguel's. I have never seen the place packed and there are days where they might have 4-5 customers all day. For what they must be paying for rent, I doubt that they could keep in business.

Well a couple of things come to mind.

Are you a Mexican food snob or a menu snob?

You say it has been there three years and there are days when there are only 4 or 5 customers and it has never been packed. Do you live across the street and watch it all day?

As for the menu I have never eaten there but the menu on the moat went downhill when they started putting it out rather than up on the big board.

When I was in Mexico I ate at some very good restaurants that had home made menu's still the food was good.

What do you care any how you are a Mexican food snob not a Tex Mex of Cal Mex snob

[kennedy]

If you haven't had "Montezuma's Revenge" you haven't had authentic Mexican Food.

[zeichen]

"As for the menu I have never eaten there"

End of discussion right there. How can you really engage in any kind of discussion if you haven't actually been there?

This is not Miguels any longer. So you cannot compare it to the one on the moat as that is still Miguels.

Actually Tex Mex is my favorite style but I do like authentic Mexican also as I lived with Mexicans immigrants for over 2 years in my youth.

Personally, I find most people don't actually have taste buds that can truly differentiate between mediocre and good. If you can eat any pre packaged foods, canned, boxed or tinned and still think that they taste good, you have no refined sense of taste. The average person really couldn't tell the difference between 3 star cuisine and 5 star. So if someone tastes good to you that is great but don't expect others to really think the same.

I have eaten there when it was Miguels and when it switched over about 1 month ago. The food is not quite as good as before. Similar recipes for certain but the cooks are not the same so the flavors won't always be the same. If they keep the same cook, they could easily improve in a year or so. The prices did go up from what Miguel's was charging last year but don't know if the new owner raised the prices or Miguel's did before they sold it.

Yes, I have stated that I live only a few minutes walk from the place and am at the 89 plaza most days.